Skiing and snowboarding for Spring Break is my idea of a fun and care-free family holiday.
Sun Peaks Resort, located north of Kamloops, BC, and a five hour drive from Vancouver, was just voted #2 Best Ski Resort in Canada (and #10 in North America) by Conde Nast Traveler magazine (2008).
This was great news as we'd booked a week of skiing there in March!
Now that our kids are old and competent enough skiers that we all ski together as a family on nearly every run, ski vacations have never been so fun. The early years witnessed an investment of time and money into ski lessons, and that has now paid off as the kids are better skiers than we ever were - hence our own switch to snowboarding 15 years ago.
Sun Peaks is the perfect family-friendly ski resort. There is lots of skiable terrain on three distinct mountains that offer challenges for different abilities. There is a very good range of ski and snowboard lessons with accredited and enthusiastic instructors, and fun activities and things to do when everyone tires of skiing for the day.
We enjoyed fantastic skiing weather during our week-long stay. They don't call it Sun Peaks for nothing! We spent nearly equal time on all three hills. Some of our favourite runs were on Mount Morrisey, which has a great mix of wide glade runs and steep, mogul-filled, double black diamonds. Our picks; CC Riders, Mid-Life Crisis, I Dunno, Spin Cycle, and Cover Shot. Other great choices on Tod and Sundance Mountains were Crystal Bowl/Run, Blueline, 5 Mile, OSV, Grannie Green's, and Three Bears.
The kids also spent time doing jumps, tricks and riding the rails at the terrain park located at the base of Sundance Mountain. There are three terrain parks for varying abilities at Sun Peaks, with the most basic one being accessible from the Village Platter at the base of Sundance Mountain. It's open to adults daring (or crazy enough) to try as well! Just remember if you wipe out it's in full view of the entire village!
The pedestrian-friendly village is quaint and modelled on a European-style Alpine village. Many of the shops focus on ski-related gear, clothing and equipment, but there are several gift shops, clothing stores, a small grocery store and deli, and a liquor store to pick up any necessities.
There are several restaurants in the village, offering a variety of pub-style, family-friendly cuisine. We enjoyed Masa's Grill, found in the heart of the village in the Sun Peaks Lodge. It's casual and comfortable, with kids menus and lots of good adult fare. There is a good energy and vibe at Masa's, the staff are great with large groups, and they show various sporting events on several big-screens mounted around the restaurant.
In terms of faster food, we enjoyed pizza at Mile High Pizza, especially the thin-crust version. Fresh and delicious! They do take-away and deliveries to your hotel or condo too. For excellent lattes, smoothies and tasty lunches, the Vertical Juice Company was our fave choice. All of these restaurants and cafes are located in the village.
If you're wishing to stay on the mountain for lunch, Sunburst Lodge offers good self-serve selections of soup, chili, and sandwiches. Their cinnamon buns are rightly famous - you can smell them coming up the Sunburst Express quad chair - and big enough to share.
For apres-ski fun, we spent time at the heated outdoor pool and hot tub at the Sports Centre, just east of the main village. It was a great way to soak some sore muscles! There is also a tube park and an outdoor skating rink with skate rentals available. Our boys also enjoyed simply playing in the snow, organizing snowball fights, and watching movies borrowed from our hotel. After five hours of skiing a day, we all earned some rest and relaxation time!
Sun Peaks is a full-service ski resort, with the friendly atmosphere of a small alpine village. It will surely grow in size and popularity over the next few years, and we hope to return again soon to enjoy its family-friendly hospitality!
[travellingmom tip: If you're travelling during a busy time such as Christmas or Spring Break, it pays to book ski lessons ahead of time through the resort's Snowsport or Lesson Centre. Simply call or email the resort prior to your arrival to reserve the lesson on the day and time of your choice.]